Movies - Films considered the worst ever

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	Movies - Films considered the worst ever

Although taste and judgment are subjective, the movies listed have achieved a notable level of infamy, through critical and popular consensus. The films listed have been either cited by a combination of reputable sources as either the worst movie of the year, or been on such a source's list of worst movies. Examples of such sources include the Golden Raspberry Awards ("Razzies"), Roger Ebert's list of most hated films, and the Internet Movie Database's "Bottom 100" list.

What makes a film "worst ever"?

"Considered the worst ever" must be taken with a grain of salt. In all fairness, some of the movies listed here may be mediocre rather than utterly wretched (cf. hyperbole). There are also productions in existence which did not receive major distribution (if any), were therefore not expected to be successful, and in turn have been excluded from this list.

An interesting psychological question is why filmgoers often delight in mocking bad movies (cf. Schadenfreude). After all, we do not laugh at poor paintings (though people do sometimes mock the taste of "the art world" as represented by museums and galleries, see also the Museum of Bad Art) — rather we see them as a necessary by-product of good paintings. One difference may be the public's resentment at what they perceive as manipulation by the major studios concerning big-budget films, at the public's expense, as the ad campaigns often induce a major turnout on opening days regardless of the film's actual or perceived quality. This leads them to take perverse pleasure when a studio loses millions on a poorly-made film.

The 1998 advent of Rotten Tomatoes, a website which aggregates reviewers' scores, has greatly assisted the process of selecting infamous films. This is not to say that this is the sole factor in earning "worst ever" status. Other Internet sources, while helpful, cannot substitute for genuine information that proves a movie "worst" or not.

The movies listed here are not simply box office bombs, although many of them are; rather, they are films which spectacularly failed to meet critical and commercial standards set by advance publicity or the weight of expectations. Although a movie usually achieves infamy by being badly written, directed, or acted, it can become notable for other factors, such as an excessive amount of hype, or a backlash against overexposed celebrities. Examples of this are Battlefield Earth, which starred A-lister John Travolta, and the Ben Affleck/Jennifer Lopez vehicle Gigli.

B-movies

While B-movies are not generally accepted as fine cinema in the first place, some of the films from this genre have seemingly transcended their already expected mediocrity into the realm of "just a really bad movie". Some of these are the result of filmmakers who cannot perceive their own incompetence, or whose creative vision outstrips their technical or financial resources. Popular examples are the movies of Ed Wood and Coleman Francis, and most of the obscure films featured on the television spoof show Mystery Science Theater 3000.

However, some B-movies have become cult classics partly as a result of their idiosyncrasies. Fans of low-budget cult films often use the phrase "so bad it's good" to describe movies that are so poorly made that they actually become an entertaining comedy of errors. Unlike more mundane bad films, these films actually develop an ardent fan following who love them because of their poor quality.

;Glen or Glenda (1953): A semi-autobiographical quasi-documentary, starring and directed by Ed Wood about transvestism. After a nightmarish dream sequence, Glen undergoes psychotherapy to help cure his affliction. Bela Lugosi appears in this film, as he did in several other Wood films during the twilight of his career. Many of Wood's fans and Leonard Maltin--who actually thought it was the worst movie ever made--insist that this was far worse than Plan 9 from Outer Space
. This film was included in the 2004 DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made.

;Manos: The Hands of Fate
(1966): This is a no-budget horror film made by an El Paso, Texas fertilizer salesman. The film gained cult popularity by being featured on the Mystery Science Theater 3000 television show. It was the #1 movie on the IMDb Bottom 100 for a long time since the list was first created. Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino owns a rare 35 mm copy of the film, and has stated that it is his favorite "comedy." It also has a 10% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

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